You Do Know How To Run An AK, Don't You?

This is a discussion on You Do Know How To Run An AK, Don't You? within the Defensive Rifles & Shotgun Discussion forums, part of the Related Topics category; That was the question that ended the briefing given by Insights Training Center. The briefing was based on information gleaned from careful analysis of video ...

You Do Know How To Run An AK, Don't You?

That was the question that ended the briefing given by Insights Training Center. The briefing was based on information gleaned from careful analysis of video footage recovered in Afghanistan. The videos showed al Qaeda personnel training for various terrorist missions in the West. They were dedicated, organized and training for missions designed to result in the deaths of innocent people.

Given the tactics they were practicing, it became apparent that the only hope for survival was for the ersatz victim to rapidly and aggressively take action. If you were armed, use your pistol to "buy" you a better gun, namely a longgun and the guns they tended to utilize were Kalashnikovs.

Hence, the question: "You do know how to run an AK, don't you?"

Having no life, I assumed that the common answer would mirror mine..."Of course!, don't you?" However, it became glaringly apparent, when I introduced an AK into the mix at a range session for some of my colleagues, that running an AK was not the common skill that I expected.

Following this unexpected discovery, I decided to take an AK around to a handful of defensive carbine classes and get an appreciation for this weapon system. What I discovered was that everyone had a system of gunhandling for the M16/AR15 platform but very few had any such system in place for the Kalashnikov. This was due to the reality of not having many of them in training classes as well as, I believe, the perception that the system was inferior and unworkable.

While the AK is a different system and must be run differently than an AR, it does not suffer the handicap that common knowledge would lead us to believe.

For a defensive gun, I'm a big fan of the old clip-on, fold-up East German Night Sights.
You can find these things for sub-$20. They clip onto the factory sights and the front is reminescent of a Big Dot sight from XS Sights. The rear is a large U-shaped notch. They are painted with 'glow in the dark' paint, which is kind of cheesy, but you can strip them and repaint the front dot with white 2-part epoxy without to much headache and they are super fast fighting sight setup.

XS Sight Systems is offering a white line/tritium front sight now that comes with a new windage slide, front sight, appropiate wrench & loctite for an MSRP of $70. Open the rear sight notch to .100 and you are good to go.

For me, being the type of guy who has both weapons platforms and the Select fire versions, the AK and M16 are very different. The AK can be broken down, cleaned and will function almost flawlessly even in the harshest conditions. With the AR/M16 types, I find , as you also do, the mechanical tollerances are so tight, that even the slightest amount of grime build-up will make the weapon inoperable, and the need to tear it down more often than the AK will ever need. The basic Soviet "quick clean" method is to , yep you got it, "wet clean" it.. I won't go into detail, but you guys get the message. With that, can you ever imagine doing that to a Colt 16? nope, never. Both weapons function best with controlled bursts. Riunning a full 30 rnd burst will result in the weapon rising not matter how strong you are. Something that tends to look good, but has no real purpose, except waisting ammo. Don't get me wrong now, I LOVE to do it, but if it's going everywhere but the target, what does it accomplish? LOL. Have you/ or do you remember the video that was sold, about 20 yrs ago, based on weapons tests? handguns, rifles, shotguns, etc. It showed the AK round to go clean thru a windshield, with the 223 round deflecting off the glass. With that, I'd take the AK over the 16, not to mention it works under the most extreme conditions. Something the Soviet Army always was most feared for having that ablility to do.

Just a plain ol' SAR1 here - fitted a red dot, which while hardly failure proof (batteries) - is quick to use and gives rapid target aquisition. At short ranges despite the red dot being there - it is exceptionally ''pointable'' and so I have not considered the red dot an impedance. I also have said sighting because of old eyes/iron sights prob's.

I tend to ''assume'' these days we all have AK familiarity - but for those who don't - grab someone elses and go have some fun whilst learning!

You have to remember too - I ''lost'' a boatload of stuff back in UK in '97 - and despite rapidly advancing years was determined to rebuild my collection, and some. That was all helped by having sold up pretty much all I had before I moved, well, a lot - and so had some funds to ''invest''

I enjoy almost all platforms, particularly cannons, as may have been noticed, but also tough semi's like the AK - tho perhaps even if more costly to shoot my fave EBR example is the FAL.